1. Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to display technology, and more particularly, to transparent display panels.
2. Discussion
As flat panel displays have explosively occupied the consumer market, various different types of display devices have been developed. A typical flat panel display device is usually exhibits a thickness thinner than a size of a screen. Widely used flat panel displays include, for example, liquid crystal displays, organic light emitting diode displays, electrophoretic displays, electrowetting displays, plasma displays, field emission displays, and the like. Within the realm of flat panel display technology includes transparent display devices that maintain a transmitting state whether or not an image is displayed. Since the transparent display device maintains the transmitting state when not used, as well as uses ambient light in the case of the liquid crystal display, power consumption may be reduced.
In general, conventional display devices typically include a display panel including a plurality of pixels configured to display an image, a plurality of signal lines configured to transmit driving signals to one or more of the corresponding plurality of pixels, and one or more drivers configured to generate one or more driving signals configured to drive the plurality of pixels to display at least one image.
The display panel usually includes a display area configured to display the at least one image and a non-display area, which does not display the at least one image. Typically, the non-display area includes a peripheral area around the display area, e.g., surrounding (or otherwise bounding) the display area. Each of the plurality of pixels and the plurality of signal lines may be disposed in the display area. It is also noted that an end of corresponding ones of the plurality of signal lines may extend into the peripheral area.
The drivers typically include a data driver configured to apply one or more data voltages to the plurality of pixels, and a gate driver configured to apply one or more gate signals that are configured to control transmission of the data voltages. The gate driver and the data driver are usually disposed on a printed circuit board (PCB) or a flexible printed circuit film in a chip form that is connected to the display panel. Additionally or alternatively, chips corresponding to the gate and/or data drivers may be directly connected to the display panel. It is noted; however, that a structure of the gate and/or data drivers may be integrated on (or as part of) the display panel without forming the corresponding gate and/or data drivers in a separate (or dedicated) chip.
When a gate or data driver is connected to the display panel in the chip form, the plurality of signal lines in the display area extend into the peripheral area and, thereby, form a fan-out part and a pad part for connecting the chip to the display panel.
When a gate or data driver is integrated as part of the display panel, the driver may be formed in the peripheral area via one or more of the same processes utilized to form the plurality of pixels in the display area. In this manner, it is noted that in the peripheral area of the display panel where a driver or ones of the signal lines connect with the driver are positioned are typically covered (or otherwise concealed) by a light blocking member so as not to be recognized by an observer. Accordingly, in the case of a transparent display device, the peripheral area is not transparent and, thus, it is difficult to implement a display device exhibiting an entire surface that is transparent.
Therefore, there is a need for an approach that provides reliable, cost effective techniques to widen the transmitting area of a transparent display panel to, thereby, increase the amount of transparent surface area of a corresponding transparent display device.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and, therefore, it may contain information that does not form any part of the prior art nor what the prior art may suggest to a person of ordinary skill in the art.